1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a roof structure and a fixture therefor, and more particularly to a roof structure assembled by connecting a plurality of roof boards to one another in turn from a ridge side to an eaves side and a fixture used for assembling such a roof structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Important problems to be solved in the assembling of a roof structure which is carried out by connecting roof boards to one another in turn in the slanting direction of a roof are that rainwater must be prevented from entering through an engagement between each adjacent two roof boards into the roof structure and the roof boards must be prevented from being lifted due to blowing-up of wind.
Conventionally, the assembling of a roof structure in a slanting direction of a roof is carried out by connecting roof boards to one another in turn from an eaves side to a ridge side. For such assembling, as shown in FIGS. 1(A) to 1(D), a fixture 38 formed of a metal material is used to securely hold an upper side or ridge side connection of each of roof boards 30. Also, the fixture 38 is fixed on a common rafter 34 at a position on a ridge side beyond the ridge side connection of the roof board 30, as shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, when it blows hard and rains heavily, the fixture is often lifted due to blowing-up of wind, resulting in failing to provide the roof structure with waterproofness. In view of the above, it is desired to improve the fixture from a viewpoint of both its structure and its fixed position.
Also, the conventional roof structure assembling operation is typically carried out in a manner to form scaffolding around a roof and connect a plurality of roof boards to one another in turn from an eaves side to a ridge side while mounting each of the roof boards, by means of such a fixture fixed on a roof support means such as a common rafter arranged on a purlin.
However, such conventional assembling is highly troublesome and dangerous particularly when a slant is steep, because the roof boards must be upwardly connected from the eaves side to the ridge side. Also, roof boards which have been connected are used as scaffolding and/or a yard for further connection of other roof boards, resulting in being damaged. In addition, the conventional assembling operation requires much labor to lift roof boards because it must be upwardly carried out from the eaves side to the ridge side. Further, the conventional assembling causes an uppermost roof board of the assembled roof structure to be apt to make a dimensional error at a position of a ridge side rising support means. This renders the operation of fixing the uppermost roof board through a holding member onto the ridge side rising support means highly troublesome, resulting in leakage of rain often occurring at a connection between the uppermost roof board and the ridge side rising support means. The leakage causes a serious problem as compared with that at the eaves side of the roof structure. Furthermore, the fixture for each roof board is adapted to downwardly hold the ridge side connection of the roof board by means of a holding section thereof extending from the ridge side to the eaves side and has a base section fixed on a common rafter at a position on the ridge side beyond an engagement between adjacent two roof boards, so that the fixture fails to exhibit strength sufficient to bear force applied thereto when blowing-up wind strikes to the engagement between the roof boards, resulting in damage of the roof structure and leakage of rain.
Accordingly, there is a need for a roof structure which is capable of being assembled by connecting roof boards to one another from a ridge side to an eaves side to improve workability and prevent leakage of rain and a fixture for effectively assembling such a roof structure.